Cafe Sacher

                                                         

No trip to Vienna would be complete without experiencing the famous Sacher Torte.  What better place to have the venerated dessert than at ground zero, The Hotel Sacher.  One of Vienna's oldest luxury hotels, established by the son of the famous desserts creator,  this hotel has hosted the likes of John F. Kennedy and Queen Elizabeth.   

In 1832 Franz Sacher created a cake using chocolate, apricot jam and whip cream by order of a Prince.  Today that cake is synoymous with a hotel dynasty and one of the most elegant cities in the world.  The Cafe Sacher on the ground floor of the hotel is quintessential Vienna,  brass chandeliers, damask covered walls, red tufted banquettes and heavy silk draperies.  The wait staff are smartly dressed for service, jacket and tie for the gentlemen and black dress and white apron for the ladies.  

One of the greatest surprises about Vienna had to be the Turkish coffee service.  If you are a lover of rich, strong coffee this is your drink !  Served as all cafes serve in Vienna  with  a glass of water, cream and sugar all arranged lovingly on a silver tray.  The Turkish coffee itself is epic in its taste and preparation.

Turkish coffee is a method of preparing and serving  unfiltered coffee.   Roasted coffee beans are finely ground and simmered with water and sometimes sugar, in a  special pot called a cezve.  The grounds are simmered and removed from the heat, returned to the heat a second time to simmer again for a couple of minutes.  Before serving the grounds are allowed to settle to the bottom, and then the velvety dark and delicious coffee can be poured into a cup.   We fell in love with this type of coffee and made sure to order it at every opportunity, just another joy that was Vienna.  

https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-cake/sacher-cafe/